Bobber



Aug- 19, 1952 v. G. MARTENS 2,607,154

BOBBERy Filed OCT.. 25, 1949 In ventor Vincent G. Martens WWW PatentedAug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Vincent G. Martens, RockwellCity, Iowa Application October 25, 1949, Serial No. 123,459

This invention relates to a bobber of novel construction and design, theprimary object of which is to make it possible to cast with any lengthof line between the bobber and hook.

An important object of this invention is to provide a bobber in whichthe portion of the line carrying the sinker and hook is wound about thebottom thereof, the bobber having a means for retaining the sinker andhook at a predetermined distance from the bobber when the portion of theline is unfurled from the bobber. 'A further important object of thisinvention is to provide a bobber having a means for holding the lineagainst movement inthe downward direction, which means allows the lineto become free running relative to the bobber when the hook and sinkerare retrieved.

A further object of this invention is to 'provide a bobber of-thecharacter described which includes a means enabling easy threading ofthe line on the bobber, fin means carried by the bobber to prevent andretard excessive spinning thereof as the line unwraps therefrom, and ameans carried at the top of the bobberto prevent the line from wrappingaround the bobber as the -line descends into the water. I

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will later become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by the device, av preferred embodiment of whichhas been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional View taken substantially on the plane of sectionline I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the present bobber;

Figure 3` is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane ofsection line y3--3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan View of the bobber; and,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a detail ofconstruction and looking from the right on Figure 2.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings. .In the several views inthe accompanying drawings and in the following specification referencecharacters indicate corresponding elements throughout.

.In order to make a long cast, it becomes necessar-y to retain thesinker, hook and bobber on the line relatively close to each other.After the cast is made, the hook and sinker should be retained at apredetermined distance, roughly equivalent to the depth of the body ofwater, -from 9 Claims. (Cl. Llf3-43.11)

the bobber. The present bobber has been constructed and designed toperform this function easily and accurately.

The bobber consists of a float I0, preferably fabricated of cork, and ofany desired size and shape, although an oblate spheroidal shape isdesired. The float is provided with a bore I2 extending through thebottom and top thereof and retained in the bore is an upper metallicsleeve I4 having a bead or flange I6 engaging the upper edge of thefloat and another sleeve I8 having a bead or flange 28 engaging thelower end of the float.

Slidable in the sleeves I4 and I8 is a tubular member 22 having an axialbore 24. The tubular member and associated parts, as will be describedhereinafter, may be fabricated of wood or metal and is of lesserbuoyancy than the float I8. To limit the sliding movement of the tubularmember in the float, the bottom endV of the tubular member is providedwith an enlarged, preferably spherical head 26, while at its upper end aconical tube 28 is secured as at 38 to thevtubular member 22. Theconical tube 28 has a shoulder 32 which is adapted to engage an inwardlyextending annular shoulder 34 in the float I6 .to limit the downwardmovement of the tubular member 22 within the oat, while the sphericalhead 26 is adapted to engagethe lower end of the sleeve I8 to limit theupward movement of the tubular member within the float.

Secured to the bottom end of the tubular member 22 and extending throughthe spherical head 26 is a tapered tube or collar 36 for a purpose soonto appear. The line 38 extends through the conical tube 28, the tubularmember 22, and the tapered collar 36 and carries at its bottom end asinker 48, it being understood that the line will also retain a hook(not shown) adjacent the sinker. A-ball 42 is positioned in the taperedportion of the collar 36 and is adapted to frictionally engage the line38 to prevent downward movement of the line relative to the float, whichball will roll upwardly in the collar 36 so as to allow the line, sinkerand hook to move freely in the tubular member 22 during the retrievingstage, whereupon the sinker will engage the spherical head 26 and movetherewith. The tubular member 22 and the conical tube 28 are providedwith an elongated slot 44 to allow ease of threading the line within thetubular member.

The line 38 has a portion 46 which is Wound about the bottom end of thetubular member 22 above the spherical head 26V and is yieldinglyretained on the tubular memberV by means of a spring clip 48 secured inany suitable manner in one side of the tubular member, as shown clearlyin Figure 5. Lateraliy extending liins 50 are secured as at 52 to theoat lll. The rst wrap of the predetermined length of line is placedunder the spring clip. This procedure makes it possible to retrieve theline without losing the selected length of line when the bobber wouldotherwise slide down to the sinker on this retrieve. Such sliding willnot occur unless the wrap of line is jerked free from the spring clip byan outside force. The purpose of the spring clip is to prevent the ball42 from being dislodged within the tubular member when the bobber isused in rapid owing water. If the ball 42 becomes dislodged then, ofcourse, the bobber would iioat down stream until it is engaged by thesinker dll.' By utilizing the spring clip 48 the line 38 isV maintainedin taut position so that the ball 42 will at all times maintain the lineagainst the conical portion of the tubular member. Thus the tubularmember and the bobber are maintained immovable relative to the line 38even when being utilized in fast running water. Only one 'or two wrapsof line are placed under the clip and the remainder of the predeterminedlength of line is wrapped on the outside of the clip. If all of thepredetermined lengthv of line were placed under the clip then theeffectiveness of the bobber would be lost until some outside forcepulled all of the line from underneath the clip.

In use, the line 38 is pulled through the tubular member to provide apredetermined length of line between the sinker 4i] and the bottom ofthe iloat I6. This portion of the line 4S between the sinker and thelioat is wound about the bottomportion of the tubular member 22 andretained thereon by means of the force of gravity causing oat l andflange 20 to bear on spherical head 25 thereby jamming line 46 close tosinker which in turn will be jammed or held tighter by centrifugal forcein the rst movements of casting. While the line is being cast thetubular member 22 will remain in snug position with its spherical head26 jamming the line 4B between it and the float member. When the bobberstrikes the water the tubular member 22, being of lesser buoyancy thanthe float member, will move downwardly relative to the oat member andthe portion 46 of the line 38 will unwind or unfurl its fullpredetermined length, the line being drawn downwardly by the weight ofthe sinker 46. The sinker cannot descend a greater length than thepredetermined distance of the sinker from the iioatbeing retained atthis distance by means of the friction ball t2. When the line 38 isretrieved, a'pull thereon will roll the ball 42 upwardly in the taperedcollar 33 and allow the line, with the sinker and hook thereon. to movefreely within the tubular member enabling the bobber to be retrieved aswell.

Frequently, the iisherman must determine the depth of the'water and thepresent bobber construction can be easily employed for this purpose. Agreater length of line is wound about the tubular member than theestimated depth of the water to be measured. The line and bobber arethen thrust into the water and as the line unfurls, the bobber stays inan upright position. When the sinker touches the bottom, the bobberimmediately turns on its side. The bobber and line are then retrieved,and since some'of the line still remains wrapped around the bottom lendof the tubular member 22, this member 22 'will be drawn upwardly intothe lioat, thereby holding the line 4 immovable relative to the bobberso that the length of the line between the bobber and the sinker will bethe approximate depth of the water.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanyingdrawings it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A bobber comprising a float having a bore therethrough, a tubularmember slidable in said bore of lesser buoyancy than said float, alinehaving a sinker on one of its ends threaded through said tubular member,a portion of said line being Wound about an endof said tubular member,and

,means for yieldingly retaining said line portion on saidtubular'memb'enbeore said line portion is unfurled.

2. The combination of claim l wherein said means includes a spring clipvcarried by said tubular member and adapted to engage saidV line'portion.

3. The combination of claim l wherein said tubular member includesenlarged portions at its endsserving as stops limiting the slidingmovement of said tubular member in said floatfsaid 'line jamming betweenone of said stops and said iloat in response to a pull of gravity onsaid float.

4. A bobber comprising a float havingY a bore therethrough, a tubularmember slidable in said bore of lesser buoyancy than said oat, a linehaving a sinker on one of its ends threaded through said tubular member,a portion or said line being wound about an end of said tubular member,means for yieldingly retaining said line portion on said tubular memberbefore said line portion is unfurled, and means for holding said lineagainst movement in one direction in said tubular member and forretaining said sinker a predetermined distance from said iloat, saidlastnamed means including a tapered collar carried by said tubularmember and a ball in said collar frictionally engaging said line. Y

5. The combinationV o claim 4 wherein said line portion retaining meansincludes a spring clip carried by said tubular member and adaptedV toengage said line portion, said retaining means allowing the line to beretrieved without changing the predetermined length of the line andpreventing disengagement of the line by a jerk on the line below thebobber.

6. A castable bobber comprising a oat having a bore therethrough, atubular member movable within said bore a distance substantiallylessthan the diameter of said iloat and of lesser buoyancy than saidiioat, said member being adapted to accommodate a line extendingtherethrough and having a portion thereof adapted to carry a verysubstantial portion of said line wound therearound in retractedposition, and means associated with said member for retaining said lineportion on said tubular member while said .bobber is being cast and forreleasing vthe same when said bobber strikes the water.

'7. A castable bobber comprising a iioat member having a boretherethrough, a tubular member carried within said bore for limitedmovement relative thereto and being of lesser buoyancy than said oatmember and being adapted to receive and accommodate a line extendingtherethrough, said tubular member having a portion thereof adapted tocarry in encircled relation and in cooperation With said float member asubstantial portion of said line while said members are being cast andto release said line portion to extended position when said membersstrike the Water.

8. The structure dened in claim 7, and means disposed within saidtubular member for releasably connecting said tubular member to saidline.

9. A bobber comprising a oat having a bore therethrough, a tubularmember slidable in said bore of lesser buoyancy than said oat, saidtubular member being adapted to receive a fishing line therethrough andhaving a lower end portion having a circumferential surface adapted toreceive a substantial portion of such line Wound therearound and to bereceived at least partially into the bore of said float With such lineWound therearound to positively and cooperatively retain such Wound lineportion in Wound position during casting operations and to movedownwardly out of said bore and thereby release said Wound line portionwhen said float strikes the Water to permit the line to unfurl.

VINCENT G. MARTENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

